If you need a quick and easy weeknight meal, farfalle (bowtie pasta) with bacon is the perfect option!

This creamy butterfly pasta pleaser comes together in minutes, looks elegant, and everyone will want your recipe!

Farfalle with Bacon in a bowl with a glass of wine in the back

What is Farfalle?

Farfalle is a pasta shape that looks like bow ties, but the actual Italian definition is ‘butterflies’ and both terms apply.

It’s about 3/4” to 1” long, is pinched in the center and the ends flay out, like a bowtie or wings. The edges may or may not be crimped depending on the brand.

When cooked the center of this pasta keeps a bit of extra bite or chew adding great texture to dishes.

process of adding bacon to sauce to make Farfalle with Bacon

Ingredients

FARFALLE AKA bow tie pasta is the choice here, but it’s OK to switch it for something different. Choose a medium pasta that the sauce will cling to like penne, rotini, or cavatappi.

CHEESE Ricotta and cream cheese are the base for this dish and make for a delicious sauce. Neufchatel is a lower fat version of cream cheese found in the dairy aisle as well.

BACON adds a great smoky and salt flavor to this dish. Feel free to substitute any kind of chopped cured meat for a flavor variation.

VEGGIES Add in your favorites from thick slices of mushrooms and chopped spinach to leftover asparagus.

Ingredient Tip

Garlic paste can be purchased in the produce section of the supermarket, although, it’s easy (and cheaper) to make your own. Mince some garlic, add a pinch of salt, and crush with the back of a spoon until it becomes a paste.

process of adding mixture to noodles to make Farfalle with Bacon

How to Make Creamy Farfalle

  1. Cook farfalle pasta until al dente.
  2. Cook chopped bacon until crispy. Add garlic paste, cheeses, and seasonings.
  3. Combine the bacon cheese sauce with the pasta and serve.

Farfalle with Bacon mixed up in a bowl

Tips and Timesavers

  • Use room temperature cream cheese and ricotta, it will be easier to mix and cook with.
  • Prepare all ingredients ahead of time as this dish comes together FAST!
  • Keep the bacon fat in the pan, it adds great flavor.
  • To save time, use pre-cooked real bacon bits. Pan fry them with a bit of oil to crisp and add flavor and proceed with the recipe as direcred.
  • While the pasta cooks prepare the sauce and the whole dish should be ready to serve in about 20 minutes.

Delicious Pasta Dishes

Did you make this creamy Farfalle recipe? Let us know how you liked it by leaving a comment below! 

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
Farfalle with Bacon plated with a spoon beside
5 from 25 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Farfalle with Creamy Bacon Sauce

Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with bacon, this pasta dish is sure to be loved by the whole crowd!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Holly Nilsson
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Ingredients  

  • 1 pound farfalle pasta
  • ½ pound bacon chopped, about 7 or 8 strips
  • 2 tablespoons garlic paste
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • shredded Parmesan cheese for serving
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions 

  • Cook the pasta according to package directions adding peas for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain well.
  • Meanwhile, add the chopped bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until almost completely cooked.
  • Add the garlic paste to the bacon and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Add the ricotta, cream cheese, and seasonings to the bacon and stir until smooth and thick.
  • Add the bacon cheese sauce to the pasta and stir to coat.
  • Serve with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Notes

This is a thicker sauce, not like a typical Alfredo style sauce. The sauce clings to the pasta, rather than a “saucy” sauce. For a looser sauce, add some reserved pasta water or broth.
Any short pasta like rotini, penne, or cavatappi will work well.
Garlic paste is generally found in the produce section near the herbs. However, you can make your own at home or you can substitute 3 cloves of garlic (minced).
Cutting the cream cheese into cubes before adding to the pan allows it to melt quicker.
Use room temperature cream cheese and ricotta, it will be easier to mix and cook with.
Prepare all ingredients ahead of time as this dish comes together FAST! 
To save time, use pre-cooked real bacon bits. Pan fry them with a bit of oil to crisp and add flavor and proceed with the recipe as direcred.
While the pasta cooks prepare the sauce and the whole dish should be ready to serve in just over 20 minutes.
5 from 25 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 686 | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 803mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1099IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Farfalle with Bacon in a white bowl with a title
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Farfalle with Bacon in a white plate with a title
mixing Farfalle with Bacon in a bowl and plated dish with a title

Recipe adapted from LifeStyle.

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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5 from 25 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Your website is my go to. I love your recipes and am never disappointed. However, this wasn’t my favorite. I am not a natural in the kitchen, but I believe I followed the instructions as written. I found the sauce to be really thick and a bit bland. I could taste the heat from the crushed red pepper, but it was just kind of flat. I ended up not saving the leftovers.

    Reply

  2. I just love your recipes. They are fantastic, flavorful and easy to follow. I especially like when you post the “notes” at the end of the recipes to give a heads up of what to look out for. A BIG YES I follow you on Pinterest. You have actually made me want to try things outside of my box and I have NOT been disappointed. Thank you.5 stars

    Reply

  3. This is delicious. We love pasta at our house, so easy to make. Creamy and flavorful. The first night I used it as the main dish and paired with a salad, had enough for leftovers so we had pizza and used it as a side. Recommend it. Will be taking it to church events.5 stars

    Reply

  4. I added one can of campbells chicken broth, put mixture into a greased casserole dish and topped with shredded provolone. Baked at 350 for about a half an hour and broiled for a few minutes for a crispy top. Try it, you’ll like it.

    Reply

  5. Added chicken and spinach to this dish and it was a family favorite! Added just a bit of pasta water to the sauce in the end to thin it a little bit. Amazing! Will definitely be making again.5 stars

    Reply

  7. Thank you for this recipe! It was a hit with my family and really easy, which I appreciate very much. ☺️ We did not think it was too thick, but you can definitely add broth to thin it out if you prefer. This one is a keeper!5 stars

    Reply

  8. I have to agree with Sandi. Mine was sticky and thick.
    I needed to add 1 cup of chicken brother and 6 ounces of half and half to “loosen it up”.
    I’d like to make it again because the flavor was really good!

    I did drain the bacon grease – was this wrong?
    Maybe it should have been 8 ounces of farfalle, not 16?

    Looking forward to Holly helping us out with what I might have done wrong. :)

    Reply

    1. Ally, this type of pasta is a thicker sauce that clings to the pasta, not like a typical Alfredo style sauce. The ricotta and cream cheese are thicker cheeses and the ricotta doesn’t really melt. The sauce clings to the pasta, rather than a “saucy” sauce. If you’d like a looser sauce, adding pasta water or broth will be a good option. Sounds like you did it all right!

      Reply

  9. This dish was delicious but I mine got dried up/out very quickly after putting it on the table. Does that happen or did I do something wrong? I was still delicious and I ate a ton, but when my husband comes home from work in the morning I’m thinking I’m going to have to add some milk or half & half to moisten it back up? Great recipe though, thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  11. Hi Holly

    I have to say you have the most delicious recipes and I look forward to your daily recipes. My husband loves Farfalle pasta so this will be a hit at our house. Thank you for ringing great recipes to us.

    Reply